Dissidia Final Fantasy  Destined Souls
by Solar Scion
Summary: The final battle between Cosmos and Chaos comes to an end as the Goddess' warriors return to the great beyond defeated... yet even then, hope remains. The story of the thirteenth cycle of the war, as the Warriors fight for the fate of all worlds.
1. Chapter 1  Sea of the Soul

Dissidia: Final Fantasy – Destined Souls

Chapter One – The Sea of the Soul

Falling. Falling. That was the only way to describe the sensation. The light fell from the heavens towards the depths below. Not the eternal light, the flames of hell, or the agony of purgatory. Was this what death was like? Truly, he could see why people would want to wait before experiencing it. He could feel it even as he fell. Losing his already fragile identity as his grip on life was vanishing.

He looked down. Well, he looked as ably as a soul can, since he had not yet come to terms with his lack of form. Yet, by willing himself to look down, though nothing seemed to move, his vision still turned to the depths below.

A sea. A great expanse of water in all directions. There was no horizon in this world, and he could not imagine how he fell into such a place. How could he when there was no sky to fall from? It took a moment to realize. He was not falling towards the sea. He was in the sea. A part of it.

Now that he had established that simple fact, it seemed almost ludicrous that he had been unable to see the other lights. No, not lights. Souls. The other souls. That was what they were. He was sure of it. … Yet how could he be sure? Had he ever seen a soul before? If he had, that was in a life lost to him. Even the life he remembered, though he had seen so much and experienced all he could… It pained him that only in death were the answers coming to him.

But still, the feeling of falling was beginning to fade from him. He supposed that was only natural. He wasn't falling anymore. He was joining the sea, becoming one with it. No more pain. No more suffering. No more worries. … No more of him…?

Why did that last one make him anxious? Surely that was the natural way? Lose his self, and become one with all around him? Yet, something was still nagging him. Some regret? Some final commitment? Whatever it was, he was dead surely. If there was a last commitment, it was out of his hands now.

Hands. Did he even have those anymore? … Well, look at that. Even though he couldn't picture his form, in front of him were two hands. His? … For the moment, he would say that they were. What to do with them though? Still he floated there. Clearly the natural process could not be completed until he had brought a close to this last issue, and brought it to a conclusion. Perhaps not a satisfying one, but a solution was all he needed. Perhaps even knowing what it was would suffice. … Where did this certainty come from? No matter, he decided. That would be something to ponder later.

So, what could be done with these hands he called his? A thought occurred to him. If these were souls, perhaps they held the answer. After all, were they not in the same boat? Perhaps he could see them because they had their own problems which prevented them joining the sea. And in a moment of clarity, he reached out and touched the nearest soul. Throughout his entire being, there was a flash of light. And a voice rang out, though he was sure only he could hear it.

_Fool. Nothing you can do will change anything. Strike me down, and I shall return, be it through the flames of hell, the chains of purgatory, or through Chaos itself… Nothing you can do will make a difference. You are just one man against forces he cannot possibly comprehend_

A different voice now.

_Maybe I am just one man. I can't change what brought you about. But my friends are counting on me. I won't lose to you, and I won't allow you to stain this land with your tyranny_

He broke the connection, and pondered what he saw. Flashing images. Figures facing each other. … Not enough. He reached out and touched another.

_You think you are blessed by the Crystals to bring about the balance of light and darkness? Such concerns are beyond your ken, child. Ageless and immortal, we are the sole arbiter of such concepts! What can a mere child, given the false legendary title, so confident that he can best any with his mind, do to stop us? Naught! You are human, and as we remain eternal, you and your existence shall be ground down by time itself!_

_Even I laughed at my title once. Chosen by the crystals and I had such a name… But over time, I realized. That name wasn't weakness. The only weakness was in me, and my perception of myself. Maybe I overextend myself. Maybe I show weakness. What matters is I can overcome it! You'll never destroy us, because no matter what, we'll keep fighting! Your eternity can be overcome, and I'll prove it!_

Almost subconsciously, he reached out to another. And each flash of light, each contact with such pure souls brought back more and more. Brought back his being. Brought back his purpose. Brought back his self.

_You are naïve. You think the crystals will solve everything? Nothing will change. This war has gone on eternal, yet still you cling to hope. Hope that the conflict will end. Hope that you will triumph over all the odds. … Hope even that you can redeem me, who has delved into the darkness until his soul was tainted beyond all recognition. … Why? Why do you persist in these delusions…?_

_ No matter the darkness you believe you embrace, I know there is good in you! Your only cage is your own anguish, your guilt, your remorse! And it is because you trap yourself in these that I know! I know that the day will come when we can walk side by side again, and until that day comes, I will fight! Impossible odds or not, my friends believe in my sword. That is all I need, brother!_

Yes, he too had friends, didn't he…?

_Only nothingness is absolute. Only oblivion is truth. Nothing crafted by the hand of any being can stand against the crushing ruination that is the Void! You struggle, but in the end, it is nothing. A flicker of existence, soon to be crushed by time. And in so doing, you will become nothing but another soul cast into darkness! Embrace eternity mortal, for it is your destiny!_

_ So what if I become part of the Void! A world of nothingness you say? Endless? Perfect! I'm going where the wind takes me, and if it takes me to such a place, I'll find the way out! Everyone's counting on me! All of them, past and present! And through their styles, and with their blades, and heck, with their faith, I'll beat you! Your Void is worthless! Come ON!_

A worthless cause? Of course it wasn't. Your freedom was an inspiration to someone who lost their identity…

_Whahahahaha! Oh come on little girl! You don't seriously think you've got the SPINE to fight little old me do you? You can try all you want, but DESTRUCTION is all you're good for! Aww, look at you, did the truth make you cry? … Good. Better that you know now before you delude yourself into thinking you can care for anything. Anything and anyone you come into contact with will BURN. Better you embrace it now before you kill off all your little friends the moment you lose your focus for just one teensy, tiny little second… What am I saying, that would be HILARIOUS!_

_ … I won't back down. No matter what you think I'm 'good' for! Maybe my powers are destructive, and maybe I am a danger to people around me. But that's a risk I have to take to be able to protect the things I love! Magic isn't only good for destruction! It can heal, it can protect, and it can create! I'm not your tool anymore! You're trapped in your own madness… but I will set you free!_

No matter how you struggled with your power… you were always one of us.

_Hmph. Haven't we played out this futile battle enough? No matter how hard you try, I am eternal. You can strike me down again and again… it doesn't matter. I'll still come back. And like the serpent, devouring its own flesh… we'll cross blades for all eternity, as long as you cling to your worthless past and wallow in your misery. I am the chosen one, born to lead this planet to its destiny…_

_ … Are you done talking? Too many people gave their lives to stop you… their sacrifices, their strengths… they all work through me now. I'm not your puppet, no matter how often you claim it's true. My strings bound me for the longest time… but I'm done running. So, keep coming back. … Because I'll always be waiting to send you back to hell._

'If your past haunts you… we were always there to shoulder the burden with you.' For the first time in this world, he spoke aloud. Speech… yes, he remembered such things now.

_No one can escape time. It delivers us all to the same end. One day, you'll be nothing but a memory, while I will live in eternity. Tell me child… what can you do against that which brings ruin to all? Only I will survive, as time comes to a standstill, as all possibilities become one… And you stand against me, alone. As one by one, you cut all your ties… perhaps a wolf suits you better than a lion boy…_

_ … What a worthless goal. What's the point of holding time in your grasp? Alone for all eternity, you and a world that never changes… I don't care about your motives. There's only one thing that matters. Even if they're absent, even if they aren't physically by my side… my ties to my friends aren't something you can sever. Even if I walk into battle alone… their spirits are with me. And knowing that, I can fight, and I can beat even time itself!_

'They're with me… and that's all I need. … That's right. The light is with me.' Now his form was slowly returning. He reached out with his newly formed hand, and grasped the long sword that came into existence in a burst of light.

_For all your worthless struggles, soon you will realize. Nothing can last forever. Not you, not I. And if I must leave this stage, then the world will come with me. I'll bring it all down, down in one last glorious exhibition… and then there will be nothing. No matter what I do, one day they will forget me. I could scar my very image into the world itself… but one day it would lose meaning. What then is the point? Why settle for such a fleeting flash of life?_

_ Heh! Shows what you know! Even if we can't live forever, what matters is what we leave behind! Whether that was the memories of a great performance, a legacy… it's not important! Even if they forget us, our deeds were still done! I won't let you bring this stage to a close! My memories of my friends… I won't let you bring them to an end! Bring it on!_

'Yes… memories are important. As are the bonds we hold with each other…' His other hand reached into the infinite sea, and grasped the proffered shield.

_Aww, what's the matter? Gonna cry? Come on, get up. You fought all this way to finally settle the score with your old man, and that's the kinda effort you bring? … You got all that potential, and you're gonna let it go to waste? … Thought you had things worth fighting for, things worth raising your sword one last time for!_

_ Heh, don't count me out yet. … I haven't even had the chance to tell you yet. … I hate you old man. I hate you, but in the end… I understand you. And I have things worth fighting for… people worth returning to. I'm not gonna take you down in a blaze of glory! A lot of people gave everything to get me this far… including you. And I won't let that be in vain!_

'Yes. Everyone gave so much to give us our one chance. … And we're not finished yet.' With that, his very being solidified fully formed in the sea of souls.

His body, strong and muscular became cloaked in blue armour, shining in the light of the souls around him. From his shoulders, his cape unfurled, and fell down his back. His right hand grasped the blade forged by the might of the crystals, the symbol of his destiny. His left grasped the shield that had protected him from so many attacks, and shone a light into the dark paths ahead of him. And finally, the rebirth was complete. His helmet formed on his head, concealing his long, silver hair, as his crystal blue eyes shone with clarity and determination.

'Though I have not a name or an identity… I have a purpose. A destiny. And with that to guide me, I shall walk the path in front of me.' He raises his hand to the heavens. And in a flash of purest light, the symbol of everything he fought for appears in his grasp. The crystal, its depths the colour of deepest blue, was a radiant light in the stillness of the world around him. That its light persisted was sign enough.

Death had not claimed him. Not yet. The goddess' gift would see them all return to the eternal battlefield…

'And by the title of the Warrior of Light… I will see it come to an END!'

The light of the crystal shot into the skies, and he began to rise. Rise from the depths of the dead and departed…

And back into the world of life…

_It's sometimes worthwhile starting at the end and working your way backwards. It gives you a clear indication of where your story is going, if you always have this signpost to follow. Not that I wouldn't write every story like this, but it's good to have something to aim for while you're writing._

_ And so the story of Dissidia Final Fantasy – Destined Souls starts near the end. Next chapter will begin the tale of how these events came to pass, how the Warriors of Cosmos came to the Sea of Souls… But you can probably guess. Though this is the tale of the thirteenth cycle, expect the unexpected. … I don't know HOW you expect the unexpected, but I trust you to come up with something. XD_


	2. Chapter 2 Endless Cycles

Chapter 2 – Endless Cycles

_Cosmos, the Goddess of Harmony. Chaos, the God of Discord._

_These two beings, ascended beyond the ken of mortal man, fight an endless conflict over the balance which holds the various worlds in its thrall. Cosmos fights to maintain the balance of light and darkness within the worlds, such that none will fall into the grasp of darkness. Chaos fights to upset the balance, such that darkness may take over and cover the world in its vast expanse, bringing ruin to all._

_But, they do not fight their battles alone._

_Each god reaches out to the worlds under their dominion, and selects the greatest of champions to wage war in their stead._

_Warriors, whose skill with the blade rival the greatest swordsmen in history. Mages, who have taken their studies to manipulating the very fabric of the universe itself, and then there are those that command both the blade and the tapestry of creation. All are called to the side of the gods, to wage war against their opposing foes._

_For there is a dichotomy to each warrior. For every Warrior of Cosmos, their opposing number on the forces of Chaos is a twisted version of their own talents, their own dreams and their own ambitions._

_Now, these diametrically opposing forces collide, with the fate of existence in the balance…_

An eerie sense of familiarity greeted the Warrior as he walked across the open expanse of the roof of the Chaos Shrine. He could swear by all the memories he possessed that he had never walked across it before. How could he have?

And yet. The demonic statues, those visages of fiends and monsters long since banished from the world, or destroyed by the hands of the creator of the temple. The ruined walls, the crumbling pillars, and the holes in the rooftop which he crosses even now, which lead to the interior of the eldritch lair.

A vision stirs within him. A vision of four terrible fiends, their strength both ancient and powerful, bringing devastation to the world around them. A journey across the world and all its landmasses. Taking them to the skies itself, and to the depths of the oceans, through volcanoes and into the caverns of the earth.

'It all began… and it all ended here.' The words were directed to no one in particular.

'Yes. It was here that you killed me.' And yet there is a man there to hear them nonetheless.

The warrior draws a deep breath. Then in a sudden movement, he spins to face his observer, his sword and shield appearing in a flash of light in his hands.

The man before him was a colossus. Eight feet of pure steel and muscle, though his height matched his own due to his battle stance. He leaned forward, possibly due to the weight of the titanic blade which he carried around. It was more of a great bar of steel than a blade. And though it was absurdly sharp, its purpose was to crush rather than to cut. Of the man himself, there was no sign. His body was covered head to foot in heavy armour, yet the man's monstrous strength meant he could perform feats of agility that beggared belief, and still wield the massive sword as gracefully as a rapier should he choose. The only sign that in the armour was a man rather than an automaton was the pair of glowing, yellow eyes that shone out from the darkness in his horned helmet.

In short, the man was a quandary, something that should not exist but defied such definitions to stand before him. And it was only fitting. For the last time they had come to blows, Garland, the scourge of Cornelia, had fallen to his blade.

'Garland. It seems that you will not stay down as easily as I thought.' He was wary of the enemy before him, and though they talked with little emotion, both were ready to leap into battle at the smallest signal from the other.

In response, a dark and cruel laugh issues forth from the confines of his helm. 'Such petty battles are not worth the effort, oh Warrior of Light. You played into my hands, and started everything which has come to pass. … But that was another time. Another place. Here, we are destined to fight.'

The Warriors sword is still raised towards Garland. In a second however, it is lowered. 'I have no time for such petty struggles. I will not let you stand in my way.'

'Hmph. Such arrogance. But you seem to have misunderstood me. In this world, whether our confrontation take place now, in a day, a week, a year… you will have to fight me. That is, if you wish to know the truth of this war!'

Now he is on edge. What does he speak of when he refers to the truth behind the war? 'The truth of this war does not concern me Garland. The only truth is that it must be brought to a close!' As long as the two sides fight, the worlds are in jeopardy. And as the conflict grows, so too does the chance of the balance tipping towards the side of Discord.

'So it has been said before, and so it shall be said again. And yet, here we stand. Two warriors, who fight at the command of destiny. And if we must be locked in this conflict… you may as make it worth my TIME!'

The speed with which he charges forward is unbelievable. He raises his blade, and with the force of his will, commands it to change its shape. As the blade rearranges itself to his design, the destructive force of an axe now rains down towards the Warrior, whose armour will not be able to withstand the fury of such an attack.

But the Warrior has tricks of his own. As the Axe falls, he meets it with his trustworthy shield, which begins to glow with a radiant light. A halo of white light emerges from the centre, and his sword floats in front of it, spinning to increase its magical force.

'SHINE!' cries the Warrior as Garland declares 'I'll CRUSH YOU!' The axe smashes into the shield as it unleashes a blast of destructive force.

Thus, as the Warrior crashes through the collapsing Temple roof, crashing into the ground surrounded by rubble and debris of various sizes, Garland is sent flying across the battlefield, crashing into one of the invisible boundaries which mark the battlefields extent. As he slides to the ground, he regains his composure and charges towards the newly created sunroof for the temple below.

As he reaches the end, the rubble does not stir. It was a ferocious blow that the Stalwart struck. Could it be that the Warrior was destroyed in the fall?

An opponent who would die in such a manner was not fit to be called his rival. His titanic blade splits into two separate swords which float in the air and ignite at his command. As they spin, they launch lances of flames towards the resting place of the Warrior. Before they can impact though, the rubble flies in all directions as the Warrior leaps out from its confines, and slashes his sword horizontally in front of him. The lances of flames are met with swords of light, and the two attacks collide. The resultant explosion forms the backdrop as the two warriors clash in the centre of the shrine, Garland struggling to bring his blade to bear as the Warrior uses all his strength to stop the sword from breaking their clash.

'Impressive! Yet you still have not reached your full potential!' In an instant, Garland splits the swords and breaks the Warrior's guard, launching a series of slashes. But he is not intimidated. Garlands complex series of strikes is interrupted as his shield flies through an opening in his pattern, striking him in the face and dazing him. In such a state, the following sword thrust cannot be guarded against, and Garland is thrown back. The blade did not pierce his armour, yet Garland must ignore the pain. And how could he not, with such a fight in progress?

He lashes out with his sword, and his opponent makes to guard. A critical mistake, as the tip of Garland's sword launches forth from the remainder, extending towards the Warrior on a chain. The trap is sprung as the Warrior is bound by the chain, and he can only watch as Garland uses his demonic strength to swing the Warrior around with the chain firmly gripped in both his hands. Once Garland is satisfied, he throws him bodily into one of the pillars holding up the upper level. All is a blur to the blue armoured knight as he feels the pain of the impact, and the crushing weight of the stone on top of him.

And then it is gone, as Garland throws it away with one hand, grabbing the Warriors helm with the other and smashing him into the temple wall, into a relief of a gigantic six armed woman, with a serpentine lower half.

The Warrior is just able to maintain his focus in the face of being smashed into various stone masterworks, and keeps his glare on the unchanging face of his foe. Expressions are not needed to know that the man feels nothing but unrelenting joy at the battle so far.

'You are weak. And yet you think to break the cycle like this? How utterly pitiful your efforts are Warrior! Drown in your despair! This fight shall never end, and I shall…'

'Your focus is too narrow for your own good!' The Warrior works his free hand and dips into a bag at his waist, withdrawing a white, tooth like object which crackles with electricity in his grasp. Reaching up, he smashes the device against Garland's helm, unleashing its contained Lightning spell.

Garland roars in pain, as he is forced to let go and reel backwards, clutching up at the impact. The shock spreads throughout his entire system, as his vision turns momentarily red. He had underestimated the man to his own peril, and now he reaped the consequences. As his sight returned, his field of vision was obscured by the Warriors charge, as he swung his shield in an uppercut.

The metal clashed against metal with a ferocious clang, as Garland was rendered dizzy from the blow.

'You think to question my resolve?' The silver haired swordsman raises his blade and brings it down in a diagonal slash, cutting from Garlands left shoulder to his right side. The blade does not pierce his armour, but it forces him off his balance. 'Whether I know the truth or not, I will bring this conflict to an end!' A second strike going from right to left drives him back further. 'Your madness shall blight this world no more Garland!' A second uppercut with his shield launches the giant into the air, as the Warrior leaps to follow him.

As Garland rises into the air, the Warrior thrusts his sword towards him as light bursts from his sword, imprisoning Garland in a crystal like formation. 'Blade of LIGHT!' cries the wielder of the Crystal Sword, as it unleashes its hidden power in a crystalline sword composed of light, striking Garland through even the density of his armour to the man within.

Two forms land on the roof of the Chaos Shrine. But while one lands gracefully, sword and shield at the ready, the other crumples into a heap on the ground, cracking the floor with the mass of his armour as his mighty blade imbeds itself in the ground nearby.

Was it truly over? Memories of an incident very much like this one came back to him unbidden. A fight in a shrine over a maiden, and a powerful enemy whose hatred called beings of unimaginable power… The memories almost physically hurt, taunting him with their ramifications, while remaining tantalisingly out of reach. Eventually, he dismissed them, and walked towards the man who lay on the ground.

He leaped back almost instantly as his hand reached out towards his blade, using the sword as leverage to raise himself up. Though exhausted, and wounded, such concerns were for mortal men. If Garland was anything now, it was far from mortal. With his back to his opponent, Garland finally stands on his own two feet.

'Perhaps you are worthy of the challenge after all… Warrior of Light.' He turns his head to the side, and the Warrior sees with astonishment that there is a hole in the armour, both at the side and in the helm which covers his face. Despite his curiosity as to what lay beneath, he made no movements towards him. His eyes were drawn to the wound at his side, with issued forth blood.

_Red Blood. … He cannot be a mortal man, not after taking such punishment…_

The disgraced knight sees the look on the Warriors usually stoic face. 'Take a lasting look, oh Warrior of Light. And know that I am as mortal as you. The only question is…' He pauses for a moment and with an exertion of strength, pulls his sword from the ground, and returns it to its usual place in his hands. He then begins to walk away from the confrontation.

'Does that make us human… or something far more?'

In a flash, he has disappeared. Despite his words, the fight with Garland has brought more questions than answers to anything.

It is only now that the Warrior can release his breath, and take stock. Damaged, but still able to fight. There should be no problem negotiating the rest of the way through the world segments.

_I must reach Order's Sanctuary… the throne of Cosmos…_ His mission and his duty were his only thoughts as he left the Chaos Shrine, not knowing that their battle in that eldritch land was only the beginning of something far greater than both of them…

_Fight sequences are always fun to write, if only because you can finally play out all those amazing battles you imagined while you smashed two figures together in a futile attempt to recreate the awesome scenes you saw Squall pull when you used Renzokuken against some of the larger enemies… Wait, was that just me? … Moooovvvvviinnnngggg on swiftly…_

_The contrast between Warrior of Light and Garland was a really nice touch that Dissidia added to their characters. Not that they had anything to work with beforehand, but still. One compelled to fight constantly through duty, and the other through choice. And it's the one who fights by his own decision and creed that feels trapped. It's a nice change. Warrior of Light also got some of the best scenes in the original Dissidia, being the only Warrior of Cosmos who didn't doubt or waiver for an instant, and wasn't afraid to tell villains where to shove their lectures. Garland was just an epically large ham, who should inspire us to do a lot more things while yelling really loudly._


End file.
